Monthly Archives: July 2011

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis, American Elder) makes a beautiful dark purple jelly. The plant is a tall shrub (up to 20 feet tall) that can be found in much of the eastern half of Texas. It grows along permanent rivers and … Continue reading →

Many people ask me where in the world do I find the fruit for making jelly. Finding these plums is a good example of how I find fruit. Today I was sitting at my local gourmet restaurant , Whataburger, when … Continue reading →

Jujube (Zizphus zizyphus) or Chinese Date is a tree from Persia or China dating thousands of years of cultivation. In Texas we have Jujubes that were brought over from Europe in 1875. Jujubes are a 30 foot tall tree that … Continue reading →

I grew up in the town where Johnny Appleseed is buried. Everywhere around the outskirts of town there were small homesteads with small apple orchards. Apples of every color and who knows what type of apple. Some were sweet but … Continue reading →

Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana, Mexican Persimmon, Chapote ) is a very common shrub or tree here in Central, West, and South Texas. It can be found growing in thickets or mixed in with other trees in woodlands. It is very … Continue reading →

Pomegranates (granadas) in Texas can be traced to the early Spanish Missions. They do well in our hot dry climate and tolerate the alkaline soil. I find that my pomegranate bushes do well without much additional water, even in a … Continue reading →

The first time I ever saw a cactus fruit was along the highway near South Padre Island. I didn’t know much about cactus but it seemed to me that it just had to be good jelly material. I picked several … Continue reading →

Does eating a watermelon bring back memories of hot summers to mind? I remember sticky hands, and watermelon juice all down my white t-shirt while eating this delicious fruit in my backyard. We ate the watermelon with our fingers while … Continue reading →